Student-led round table discussion on community development, engagement, and reflections on “Bard: More Than A Place to Think.” Hosted by the Center for Civic Engagement.

How do we go about getting students involved/ How do we ensure a healthy an stable community here at Bard? How do we maintain “civility” on our campus? What institutions already exist to help foster a sense of community? Is apathy an issue, or is it normal? What has “Bard: More Than A Place to Think” achieved? How do we go forward from here? Who are we…? Ask anything. Answer Anything. For other “Bard: More Than A Place to Think” events see: http://student.bard.edu/morethanaplacetothink/ and to visit the Center for Civic Engagement Facebook Page: http://facebook.com/Bard.Civic.Engagement

The Global Teach-In

is a virtual conference being held simultaneously in 7 countries and in over 13 cities around the world on Wednesday April 25 from noon-4pm EST. The interactive event will include discussions with experts, grassroots activities and citizens who are concerned about developing solutions to policy problem and creating alternative institutions. Specifically the conference will focus on 3 major themes: 1. Democracy Networks and the development of Global Movements 2. Jobs and Urban Planning 3. An Alternative Financial System. Speakers are scheduled from all over the United States, the UK, Sweden, South Africa, Bhutan, Canada, and more. Be a part of the dialogue in this exciting event! Get more info on the conference at http://www.globalteachin.com/ and stay tuned for the campus room location TBA.

Bard College Vista Member Position Bard College seeks a creative and enthusiastic self-starter to join the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) as the Americorps VISTA Program Coordinator for a new collaborative project that seeks to change the course of poverty in and around the communities of Red Hook, Germantown, and Livingston, NY by enhancing the capacity of all partners to support educational advancement and build cultural capital for the young people living there. The VISTA member will work with the school districts and community partners to align resources which will support and enhance options for young people by launching a series of educational activities and cultural experiences designed to: 1) improve students’ academic skills so they enter each school year with confidence in their ability to succeed, and 2) broaden students’ vision of the future so that they view higher education as a viable choice in their life.

The VISTA member will be responsible for working with community partners to build relationships, establish a community advisory council, implement the first year action plan, recruit and train volunteers, and develop a detailed action plan for sustainability. If you are a VISTA with strong organizational and leadership skills who values community partnerships, and believes that communities and individuals can change the course of poverty, then this position is for you.

The Citizen Science Fellows program is a collaborative academic/student affairs initiative focused on identifying and organizing a civic engagement co-curricular experience for first-years during their January term. Instrumental in designing opportunities to explore concepts of community service, civic engagement and science education, Fellows can explore their own ideas about engagement in the community.

Job Responsibilities
Fellows will begin working with the Director of Citizen Science and the Dean for Student Affairs in the fall semester, coordinating programs for the fall and January terms. Programs may range from elementary or high school based science education workshops, Bard building projects, sustainability initiatives, resisting racism workshops, arts-focused community projects, Hunger Benefit, leadership workshops, etc. Four fellows will be hired, drawing equally from science and non-science backgrounds. We encourage applications from students of all academic divisions.

Training:
Fellows will participate in a 10-hour training, orienting them to the concepts and theories of both the academic and co-curricular program. Training will be through participation in a selected number of the Change in Action Workshops.

Job Description

Act as support staff for fall initiatives, including first-year residence hall programs focused on both science and general informational sessions (co-led by director of citizen science and dean of student affairs)

Coordinate programs with off-campus agencies and schools to create co-curricular opportunities for all first-year students including programmatic concepts as well as details regarding implementation (transportation, ordering materials, coordinating activities, creating a calendar, etc.)

2. Names and contact information of 2 references. One reference must be from Bard.

Successful candidates will be able to demonstrate engagement in the co-curricular program at the college, an interest in civic engagement and social justice as well as excellent academic, organizational and leadership skills.

Review of applications will begin on Wednesday, September 22, 2012, with interviews scheduled for the following week.

Become an Education Innovation Leader The Center for Creative Education, an award-winning and innovative arts-in-education non-profit based in Kingston, NY, seeks enthusiastic interns to take social entrepreneur and community-building leadership roles in the following programs:

CCE Intern Programming Opportunities

Strategic proposal for Bard Academy and/or Early College in Kingston

Manage Walter Dean Myers book tour to Kingston
Incubate Small Learning Communities (Academies) within Kingston High School

Program and Staff CCE’s Camp -an alternative academic summer school model at Kingston High School in July-August, 2012

Program and Staff AMP’D – a music program for youth
Develop subject-area “circles” on the model of Bard’s Math Circles
Develop Teacher Circles on pedagogical best practices and innovations

Develop & conduct professional development for teachers in the Kingston School District (a hybrid of Bard MAT workshops and online project tuning through Blackboard Illuminate with High Tech High in San Diego)

Develop and deliver CCE Teaching Residencies

Manage Carnegie Learning Center at Kingston High as a Pedagogical Innovation Lab

This internship will be based in our midtown Kingston office although some work can be done at your location. Specific days and number of hours are flexible and can be negotiated based on class load. Internship benefits include hands on work experience and significant responsibility in an established and respected community non-profit. Your work will with us will stand out on your resume and will make a life-changing impact in our community. Please email a cover letter and resume tostephen@cce-kingston.org or call 845-399-9300 for more information.

Come join us for snacks and discussion with the courageous DREAMers of the New York State Youth Leadership Council who are walking 150 miles from NYC to Albany to gather support for the NY DREAM Act, a bill that would allow undocumented New Yorkers to access state financial aid for higher education.

The next day…come walk with us on Saturday April 14th as we journey the 17 miles from Bard College to Catskill, NY. We will meet in the parking lot across from the library at 8 am for a light breakfast and end around 6:30 pm for a dinner at the community center in Catskill, stopping for lunch midday at the Germantown Community Farm. Wear your comfiest sneakers! If you can’t walk the whole day, meet us at 5:30PM on the east side of the Rip Van Winkle Bridge so we can march into Catskill together!

Please email ltorymurphy@wjcny.org to let us know if you or your group is coming. We are coordinating transportation from Catskill back to Bard so people can pick up their cars at the end of the day. Thank you!

Keynote speaker award-winning author and filmmaker John Sayles. For more details go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Hook-Community-Arts-Network/116401555104181. Interested in volunteering? Contact Erin Cannan at cannan@bard.edu or rhcanreadlocal@gmail.com.
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The Center for Civic Engagement is proud to offer a unique opportunity to help the Columbia County Habitat for Humanity get their ReStore location ready for Earth Day. There are only a few spots available, so please contact Bob Feeny at rfeeny@bard.edu if you are interested. First come, first served.

Details:

We will leave Bard around 8:30am on this Saturday (April 14th). We will drive up to Hudson and get to work helping get the store ready. All you need to do is show up in jeans and a t-shirt, ready to work. We will return to Bard by 5:00pm. Transportation will be provided.

ReStore is a division of Habitat for Humanity. ReStore outlets sell salvaged, reused, and recycled building materials to the general public. This provides people with low-cost building supplies, and it raises money for Habitat for Humanity.

I hope to hear from many of you. This will be a great way to spend a Saturday!